Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Provo River Delta Restoration Project, 11511-11512 [2014-04311]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 40 / Friday, February 28, 2014 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science [113R0680R1, RR.17549897.1000000.01, RC0ZCUPCA0] UTAH RECLAMATION MITIGATION AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Provo River Delta Restoration Project Central Utah Project Completion Act, Interior; Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Department of the Interior, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, as Joint Lead Agencies, have prepared and made available to the public a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that discloses the effects of the Provo River Delta Restoration Project (Project) which is a recovery action within the approved June Sucker Recovery Plan of 1999. DATES: Submit written comments on the DEIS on or before April 29, 2014. One or more public meetings will be held in association with the release of the DEIS allowing for public comment. Date(s), time(s), and location(s) of the meeting(s) will be mailed to interested parties and provided in the local media. ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the DEIS and requests for copies to Mr. Richard Mingo, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, 230 South 500 East Suite 230, Salt Lake City, UT 84102; or by email to rmingo@usbr.gov. The DEIS is accessible at the following Web sites: www.cupcao.gov, www.provoriverdelta.us, www.mitigationcommission.gov, and www.cuwcd.com. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for locations where copies of the DEIS are available for public review and inspection. SUMMARY: Mr. Richard Mingo, 801–524–3146; or by email to rmingo@usbr.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Background The Department of the Interior’s Record of Decision for the Diamond Fork System Final Supplement to the Diamond Fork Power System Final Environmental Impact Statement, VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:47 Feb 27, 2014 Jkt 232001 signed September 29, 1999, commits the Joint Lead Agencies to ‘‘. . . participate in the development of a Recovery Implementation Program for June sucker.’’ Moreover, ‘‘. . . [a]ny future development of the Bonneville Unit of CUP [Central Utah Project] will be contingent on the RIP [June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP)] making ‘sufficient progress’ towards recovery of June sucker.’’ The Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission signed its own Record of Decision for the Diamond Fork System Project on November 19, 1999. The JSRIP was established in 2002, and the Joint Lead Agencies are participants. The goals of the JSRIP are to recover June sucker so that it no longer requires protection under the Endangered Species Act and allow continued operation of existing water facilities and future development of water resources for human uses within the Utah Lake Basin in Utah. The June sucker exists naturally only in Utah Lake and spawns naturally only in the lower Provo River, a Utah Lake tributary. Monitoring indicates young June sucker hatching in the lower Provo River do not survive to the adult stage. Monitoring shows that first-year fish do not survive due to habitat inadequacies in the lower Provo River and its interface with Utah Lake related to flow, food supply, and shelter. A compounding factor is likely predation by nonnative fishes. Dredging and channelization for flood control has eliminated the shallow, warm, complex wetland habitat at the mouth of the Provo River where it entered Utah Lake. Proposed Federal Action The Project would restore the lower Provo River to a more natural deltaic ecosystem. The delta and associated habitat would provide needed habitat for the recovery of the endangered June sucker. These improvements would be accomplished through the implementation of one or any combination of the action alternatives or options analyzed in the DEIS. Purpose and Need for Action The Project has been identified as an essential action needed to recover the endangered June sucker. It would restore functional habitat conditions in the lower Provo River and its interface with Utah Lake that are needed for spawning, hatching, larval transport, survival, rearing and recruitment of young into the population on a selfsustaining basis. The purposes of the Project are to: • Implement the specific criteria of the June Sucker Recovery Plan to restore PO 00000 Frm 00122 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 11511 a naturally functioning Provo River delta ecosystem essential for recruitment of June sucker; • Provide recreational improvements and opportunities associated with the Project; • Adopt flow regime targets for the lower Provo River and provide delivery of supplemental water to the lower Provo River, including additional conserved water. A Notice of Intent to prepare the Provo River Delta Restoration Project DEIS was published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2010 (75 FR 12562). The DEIS describes and analyzes the potential effects of three action alternatives, a no action alternative, and two options for the existing Provo River channel. No Action Alternative This alternative considers the consequences of taking ‘‘no action’’ with respect to the purpose and need of the Project. Under the No Action Alternative, the planned Project would not be implemented, but remaining actions in the June Sucker Recovery Plan and JSRIP would proceed as planned, subject to National Environmental Policy Act compliance as appropriate. Private lands would not be acquired for the Project. Alternative A Alternative A would maximize the available rearing and spawning habitat for June sucker. The acquisition boundary for this alternative encompasses 507.3 acres. Alternative B—Agency Preferred Alternative Alternative B was developed with substantial involvement from study area landowners and other stakeholders. It is the agency preferred alternative. It would reduce the amount of private land required for the Project and preserve the highest-value agricultural land, while still meeting June sucker spawning and rearing habitat improvement needs. The acquisition boundary for this alternative encompasses 310.3 acres. Alternative C Alternative C would exclude most of the existing peat wetlands located on the east and north sides of the Project area from restoration activities but, as a consequence, would be constructed on the higher-value agricultural lands. Alternative C would meet June sucker spawning and rearing habitat improvement needs for the Project by using lands to the south of these wetlands. The acquisition boundary for E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM 28FEN1 11512 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 40 / Friday, February 28, 2014 / Notices this alternative encompasses 298.3 acres. Existing Provo River Channel Options Two options were considered for use of the existing Provo River Channel. Either of the two options could be paired with any of the three action alternatives. Option 1 would leave the existing Provo River Channel open to Utah Lake, allowing for fluctuating water levels at various times of the year. Option 2 would maintain the existing channel at a relatively constant elevation by constructing a small dam at the downstream mouth of the channel near Utah Lake State Park. Under both options, an aeration system would be installed and operated to improve water quality and a minimum flow of 10 cubic feet per second would be provided to the existing Provo River channel which would be retained and managed for recreational and aesthetic purposes. Public Meeting Information The purpose of the public meeting(s) is to provide the public and other interested parties the opportunity to ask questions and provide comment to the Joint Lead Agencies. The format of the meeting(s) will be an open-house type format. Written comments should be received no later than 60 days following publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure inclusion in the administrative record. Under the National Environmental Policy Act process, written and oral comments, received by the due date, are given the same consideration. Copies of the DEIS are available for review and inspection at: • Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, 302 East 1860 South, Provo, Utah 84606– 7317–2045. • Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, 230 South 500 East Suite 230, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. • Central Utah Water Conservancy District, 355 West University Parkway, Orem, Utah 84058–7303. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Libraries • Provo City Public Library, 550 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah 84601. • Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. Public Disclosure Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:47 Feb 27, 2014 Jkt 232001 personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Dated: February 21, 2014. Reed R. Murray, Program Director, Central Utah Project Completion Act, Department of the Interior. Dated: February 21, 2014. Michael C. Weland, Executive Director, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission. [FR Doc. 2014–04311 Filed 2–27–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–MN–P DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900–0379] Proposed Information Collection (Time Record (Work-Study Program)); Comment Request Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed revision of a currently approved collection and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the information needed to verify the actual number of hours worked by a workstudy claimant. DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection of information should be received on or before April 29, 2014. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information through Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov or to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits Administration (20M33), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420 or email to nancy.kessinger@va.gov. Please refer to ‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0379’’ in any SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00123 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 correspondence. During the comment period, comments may be viewed online through FDMS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy J. Kessinger at (202) 632–8924 or FAX (202) 632–8925. Under the PRA of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13; 44 U.S.C. 3501–3521), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. This request for comment is being made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA. With respect to the following collection of information, VBA invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of VBA’s functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of VBA’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of information technology. Title: Time Record (Work-Study Program), VA Form 22–8690. OMB Control Number: 2900–0379. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Abstract: Training establishments complete VA Form 22–8690 to report the number of work-study hours a claimant has completed. When a claimant elects to receive an advance payment, VA will advance payment for 50 hours, but will withhold benefits (to recoup the advance payment) until the claimant completes 50 hours of service. If the claimant elects not to receive an advance payment, benefits are payable when the claimant completes 50 hours of service. VA uses the data collected to ensure that the amount of benefits payable to a claimant who is pursuing work-study is correct. Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Governments. Estimated Annual Burden: 5,705. Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 5 minutes. Frequency of Response: Annually. Estimated Number of Respondents: 68,460. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dated: February 25, 2014. E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM 28FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 40 (Friday, February 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11511-11512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04311]



[[Page 11511]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

[113R0680R1, RR.17549897.1000000.01, RC0ZCUPCA0]

UTAH RECLAMATION MITIGATION AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Provo River Delta Restoration Project

AGENCY: Central Utah Project Completion Act, Interior; Utah Reclamation 
Mitigation and Conservation Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Utah Reclamation Mitigation 
and Conservation Commission, and the Central Utah Water Conservancy 
District, as Joint Lead Agencies, have prepared and made available to 
the public a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that discloses 
the effects of the Provo River Delta Restoration Project (Project) 
which is a recovery action within the approved June Sucker Recovery 
Plan of 1999.

DATES: Submit written comments on the DEIS on or before April 29, 2014. 
One or more public meetings will be held in association with the 
release of the DEIS allowing for public comment. Date(s), time(s), and 
location(s) of the meeting(s) will be mailed to interested parties and 
provided in the local media.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the DEIS and requests for copies to 
Mr. Richard Mingo, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation 
Commission, 230 South 500 East Suite 230, Salt Lake City, UT 84102; or 
by email to rmingo@usbr.gov. The DEIS is accessible at the following 
Web sites: www.cupcao.gov, www.provoriverdelta.us, 
www.mitigationcommission.gov, and www.cuwcd.com. See the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for locations where copies of the DEIS are 
available for public review and inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Mingo, 801-524-3146; or by 
email to rmingo@usbr.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Department of the Interior's Record of Decision for the Diamond 
Fork System Final Supplement to the Diamond Fork Power System Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, signed September 29, 1999, commits the 
Joint Lead Agencies to ``. . . participate in the development of a 
Recovery Implementation Program for June sucker.'' Moreover, ``. . . 
[a]ny future development of the Bonneville Unit of CUP [Central Utah 
Project] will be contingent on the RIP [June Sucker Recovery 
Implementation Program (JSRIP)] making `sufficient progress' towards 
recovery of June sucker.'' The Utah Reclamation Mitigation and 
Conservation Commission signed its own Record of Decision for the 
Diamond Fork System Project on November 19, 1999. The JSRIP was 
established in 2002, and the Joint Lead Agencies are participants. The 
goals of the JSRIP are to recover June sucker so that it no longer 
requires protection under the Endangered Species Act and allow 
continued operation of existing water facilities and future development 
of water resources for human uses within the Utah Lake Basin in Utah.
    The June sucker exists naturally only in Utah Lake and spawns 
naturally only in the lower Provo River, a Utah Lake tributary. 
Monitoring indicates young June sucker hatching in the lower Provo 
River do not survive to the adult stage. Monitoring shows that first-
year fish do not survive due to habitat inadequacies in the lower Provo 
River and its interface with Utah Lake related to flow, food supply, 
and shelter. A compounding factor is likely predation by nonnative 
fishes. Dredging and channelization for flood control has eliminated 
the shallow, warm, complex wetland habitat at the mouth of the Provo 
River where it entered Utah Lake.

Proposed Federal Action

    The Project would restore the lower Provo River to a more natural 
deltaic ecosystem. The delta and associated habitat would provide 
needed habitat for the recovery of the endangered June sucker. These 
improvements would be accomplished through the implementation of one or 
any combination of the action alternatives or options analyzed in the 
DEIS.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Project has been identified as an essential action needed to 
recover the endangered June sucker. It would restore functional habitat 
conditions in the lower Provo River and its interface with Utah Lake 
that are needed for spawning, hatching, larval transport, survival, 
rearing and recruitment of young into the population on a self-
sustaining basis.
    The purposes of the Project are to:
     Implement the specific criteria of the June Sucker 
Recovery Plan to restore a naturally functioning Provo River delta 
ecosystem essential for recruitment of June sucker;
     Provide recreational improvements and opportunities 
associated with the Project;
     Adopt flow regime targets for the lower Provo River and 
provide delivery of supplemental water to the lower Provo River, 
including additional conserved water.
    A Notice of Intent to prepare the Provo River Delta Restoration 
Project DEIS was published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2010 
(75 FR 12562). The DEIS describes and analyzes the potential effects of 
three action alternatives, a no action alternative, and two options for 
the existing Provo River channel.

No Action Alternative

    This alternative considers the consequences of taking ``no action'' 
with respect to the purpose and need of the Project. Under the No 
Action Alternative, the planned Project would not be implemented, but 
remaining actions in the June Sucker Recovery Plan and JSRIP would 
proceed as planned, subject to National Environmental Policy Act 
compliance as appropriate. Private lands would not be acquired for the 
Project.

Alternative A

    Alternative A would maximize the available rearing and spawning 
habitat for June sucker. The acquisition boundary for this alternative 
encompasses 507.3 acres.

Alternative B--Agency Preferred Alternative

    Alternative B was developed with substantial involvement from study 
area landowners and other stakeholders. It is the agency preferred 
alternative. It would reduce the amount of private land required for 
the Project and preserve the highest-value agricultural land, while 
still meeting June sucker spawning and rearing habitat improvement 
needs. The acquisition boundary for this alternative encompasses 310.3 
acres.

Alternative C

    Alternative C would exclude most of the existing peat wetlands 
located on the east and north sides of the Project area from 
restoration activities but, as a consequence, would be constructed on 
the higher-value agricultural lands. Alternative C would meet June 
sucker spawning and rearing habitat improvement needs for the Project 
by using lands to the south of these wetlands. The acquisition boundary 
for

[[Page 11512]]

this alternative encompasses 298.3 acres.

Existing Provo River Channel Options

    Two options were considered for use of the existing Provo River 
Channel. Either of the two options could be paired with any of the 
three action alternatives. Option 1 would leave the existing Provo 
River Channel open to Utah Lake, allowing for fluctuating water levels 
at various times of the year. Option 2 would maintain the existing 
channel at a relatively constant elevation by constructing a small dam 
at the downstream mouth of the channel near Utah Lake State Park. Under 
both options, an aeration system would be installed and operated to 
improve water quality and a minimum flow of 10 cubic feet per second 
would be provided to the existing Provo River channel which would be 
retained and managed for recreational and aesthetic purposes.

Public Meeting Information

    The purpose of the public meeting(s) is to provide the public and 
other interested parties the opportunity to ask questions and provide 
comment to the Joint Lead Agencies. The format of the meeting(s) will 
be an open-house type format.
    Written comments should be received no later than 60 days following 
publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by 
the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure inclusion in the 
administrative record. Under the National Environmental Policy Act 
process, written and oral comments, received by the due date, are given 
the same consideration.
    Copies of the DEIS are available for review and inspection at:
     Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project 
Completion Act Office, 302 East 1860 South, Provo, Utah 84606-7317-
2045.
     Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, 
230 South 500 East Suite 230, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102.
     Central Utah Water Conservancy District, 355 West 
University Parkway, Orem, Utah 84058-7303.

Libraries

     Provo City Public Library, 550 North University Avenue, 
Provo, Utah 84601.
     Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 East 400 South, Salt 
Lake City, Utah 84111.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: February 21, 2014.
Reed R. Murray,
Program Director, Central Utah Project Completion Act, Department of 
the Interior.

    Dated: February 21, 2014.
Michael C. Weland,
Executive Director, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation 
Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-04311 Filed 2-27-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P
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